Finding the Title for Your Book (or Life)

The Book Title is what grabs us, lures us into the story.

Sure the cover can catch the eye and the blurb can encourage further interest, but it is the title that first gets our attention. The title is the hook and it doesn’t necessarily come to the writer easily.

Now, whilst pondering this part of the craft, I came across the following question - ‘If your life was a book what would the title be?’

My first thought, the book did happen to be sitting on the bookshelf at eye level, was ‘Dinosaur’. That has been cause for serious further self analysis. As for a book, no amount of colourful cover or trendy language can make up for not having a ripper title to your own story.

Apparently the most common attributes of good titles are -

  1. Short - the most successful titles are usually on the shorter side

  2. Evocative - contain compelling wordplay and imagery

  3. Memorable and unique - readily recalled, readily identified

Some further reading may help, have some fun putting some titles together -

ps I’m now thinking of ditching ‘Dinosaurs’ for ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ or perhaps ‘Chaos Theory’ …

Anne BignellComment
Can You Name the Famous Book?

See how you go with this little list - do you know the titles?

  1. The Geezer And The Caribbean

  2. An Elm Develops From A Sapling Where The Dodgers Once Played

  3. Brilliant Red Communication No One Writes Anymore

  4. While I Was In The Bed Croaking

  5. The Muscadines Belonging To Anger

  6. Armed Conflict And The Kind Of Train Cat Stevens Used To Ride

  7. Out Of Here In The Current Of Air

  8. The Purple Rain Singer Associated With The Rising & Falling Of The Ocean

  9. Tremendous Anticipations

  10. What Comes Before A Fall & Preconceived Judgement Towards A Group

  11. Mitt-Wearing Home Plate Squatter Enclosed By Reuben Sandwich Bread

  12. Murder A Derisive, Taunting, Feather-Covered Creature

  13. An Au Revoir For Everything Inside The Shirt Sleeves

  14. Y2K Minus Number Of Candles On Molly Ringwald’s Cake

  15. Felonies And Misdemeanours Coupled With Spankings

  16. That Audio And The Rage

  17. Toward What Person Or Persons A Recess-Is-Over Sound Is Directed

  18. One Who Domineers Over Things Stuck To The Swatter

  19. Scoliosis Sufferer At The Fighting Irish School

  20. Courageous Globe With The Tag Still On It

  21. Pirate Loot / Counter In The Centre Of A Kitchen

  22. Story Of A Duo Of Municipalities

  23. About Little White Rodents And Grown Boys

  24. Ruby-Coloured Nametag Indicating Bravery

  25. The Star In Our Solar System Comes Up Too

How many did you get right and how many of them have you read?

Anne BignellComment
Kangaroo Words

I only recently discovered these words and they are so much fun to play with. Basically they are words that contain synonyms within them. The ‘kangaroo word’ has a ‘joey’ inside it.

Once you are aware of them it is hard to let it go - ‘chocolate’ contains ‘cocoa’ - within the word and in life!

I’ve never looked for them before but now I am addicted.

How many can you think of?

Anne BignellComment